A historic, black college in Greensboro makes employee, facility cuts in the wake of budget shortfall.
Bennett College is shutting down Pfeiffer Residence Hall as it grapples with an operating budget shortage of nearly $3 million dollars. Andrena Coleman is the Vice President of Administrative Service. She says the closure is partly due to low enrollment. According to Coleman, this fall enrollment was projected at 668 but the current student population is 613. Bennett requires first and second year students to lie on campus. About 80% of its students now live in the dorms.
Sixty-two freshmen live in Pfeiffer Residence Hall and Coleman says all of them will be relocated to the college's four other dorms. "We can reduce some of our maintenance and custodial costs," explains Coleman. "While we can not shut off the heat and water, we'll be able to curb some of the utility costs by reducing usage. Also we will not have staffing for that building." Coleman says this closure is temporary.
Pfeiffer Residence Hall was built in 1924 and is one of the oldest on campus. It'll close in January, as well as 8 full-time employees and 1 part-time employee will be laid off.